How the West did win

Friday

Feb 14, 2014 at 2:00 AM

The sound inside the gym at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center Feb. 12 was deafening and it’s no wonder; the place was filled to near capacity as Sturgis East and Sturgis West boys varsity basketball teams battled it out on the court.

Kathleen Szmit

AN AWESOMELY FULL HOUSE – A panoramic shot shows just how full the gym at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center was for the Sturgis West/Sturgis East boys varsity basketball game Feb. 12. West won the game 71-61.

Sturgis West trumps Sturgis East 71-61

The sound inside the gym at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center Feb. 12 was deafening and it’s no wonder; the place was filled to near capacity as Sturgis East and Sturgis West boys varsity basketball teams battled it out on the court.

In the beginning it looked like a sure victory for the Storm, but in the end it was Navigators who prevailed, charting a course for victory and hitting it as West trumped East 71-61.

It was the second time this season the cross-town rivals faced each other, with the ‘Gators seeking to avenge their 62-55 loss of Jan. 16, and doing so with spirit.

Spurred on by a packed house and cheerleaders donning their school colors - green and white for the Navigators, blue and white for the Storm - the teams engaged in an impressive and intense competition that kicked off with East taking a 24-14 lead after the opening quarter.

That’s when the ‘Gators truly sunk their teeth into the game, netting 22 points to the Storm’s 10 in the second to take a slight 36-34 lead at the break.

After spirited performances by both cheer squads and the Sturgis East step dance team, the game resumed with no loss of intensity.

The second half belonged to the Navigators as they not only sunk shots at the hoop, but also proved their prowess at the foul line. While the Storm netted a number of three-pointers, time ran out on any chances of a rally, much to the glee of West fans.

“It was fun, huh?” said West head coach Kyle Erha. “This one has been a long time coming for this team. We dropped the first one to them. [Tonight we were] down 10 after one, and won every quarter after that the rest of the way.”

Erha credited his team for not giving up.

“We just really kept working away and never let them get back into it,” he said. “I’m so happy with them right now. It’s been a season of ups and downs and uneven games, but we just kept our heads and kept plugging away.”

East head coach Mike Kennedy said free throws and rebounds were his team’s downfall.

“I think the kids played really well in the first quarter,” he said. “[West] hit their free throws; I don’t think we shot free throws that well. They rebounded really well; we didn’t rebound that well, and that’s probably the story of the game.”

Both Erha and Kennedy had high praise for East senior Chevalier, who sank five three-pointers in the game.

“I give credit to Luke Chevalier,” Erha said. “That kid was lights out in the first quarter.”

“He’s an animal,” Kennedy said. “He just focused in and shot the ball really well.”

Kennedy also praised the efforts of Matt Delvecchio.

“Defensively he was all over the court,” Kennedy said. “He did a great job for us.”

West’s win was even more poignant for the team’s seniors, who were celebrated at the start of the game on “Senior Night.”

“We had six of them and they all played and all contributed,” Erha said. “To have [the win] happen on senior night was a great thing for us and for them.”

West Senior Deikani Cunningham was cautiously happy about the victory.

“I’m feeling pretty good, but we have two more we have to win to make playoffs so I’m kind of focused on that right now,” he said.

Fellow senior Scott Glynn couldn’t stop smiling after the game was over.

“It’s the first time we beat them in our entire career,” Glynn said. “To do it on Senior Night is really a great time. This was probably the best game we played all year. We really played as a team.”

Glynn also looked forward to the team’s remaining games.

“We’ve still got to come out tomorrow night and Friday night,” Glynn said. “If we get those we get the playoffs, but if we play like we did tonight I think we’ve got a shot.”

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.